Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1887-05-28
At A NEGRO FUNERAL.

Ceremonies Of Old Slavery Days Still
Prevailing in the South.
Not long since I was visiting one Of the
towns in upper South Carolina I and q
friend were taking an afternoon stroll into
the adjoining country. We had proceeded
some distance, and were passing through q
dense wood when sue ,lenly ms companion
etnpped an nervous.y inquired: "What's
thatg" o&.... ~ q Es.lsyas.2sSI -ifSe-.zs.. A.
weird, mournful sound foated through the
trees and reached our ears It seemed to
come only short distance; appeared to en-
anate from the copse on the other side of the
road. We crossed over. and followed. bent
upon investigating what it was. We had
scarcely gained the opposite thicket when we
dobouched into one Of those country burial
grounds which are to be found near every
hamlet in South Carolina.
It was strange picture that met our sight,
and one that belonged more to heather lands
than our own civilized country. There,
around a newly made grave, about twenty
five negroes were collected. They all held
hands and were slowly moving to and fro,
while they walled forth dirges, and at inter-
walls would calculate wild, incoherent words
In the midst Of the circle, at the head of the
grave, an old woman sat who rocked back
ward and forward Her eyes rolled wildly,
and she moved in a mechanical way. This
was the widow of the deceased, and it was her
required part in the ceremony to loudly moan
at appointed intervals during the singing
Something in this way their hymn sounded,
- nearly as could catch the words:
De white horse he rode,
Wild de sickle in he hand,
And slew down our brudder
From among our earthly band.
moan! sister, moanl
And here the widow would reintroduce her
heathenish incantations These were kept up
for some time, when suddenly they ceased
and the negroes prostrated themselves uoon
the ground, while the minister, tall, very
dark negro, stood and offered up a prayer.
After the ':amen" was uttered they rose and
two Of the number took from basket near
some articles with which they decorated the
grave, as if they were placing upon the tomb
floral offerings They then slowly formed in
procession and silently marched out of the
inclosure My friend and I, curious to decide
was, proceeded to the spot where an old man
was shouidering his spade to quit the place.
"Why, old man." said I, "what are those
GQl09S tucy u6Vo 1ol1 OH Iuo STdSo5 DOtGleS,
shoes. a jugl Why, what does it all meana"
"Well, boss" said the ebony grave digger,
with an air Of Importance, "you see, we puts
de articles dat de departed brudder use to use
ON de grade for to keep away de bad sperrits,
and 'sposs it is a sort oh 'spectful way oh
treating de memory OBJ de lost sister or brud-
der. You see, dars de bottle dat he take tho
medicine from when lie be sick. And dars DO
jug Y had de last dram he drunk fore ho
joined de temperance meetin', an de boots I
spose is de shoes dat he gwine to change for
de golden slippers dat he put on when he jine
de ban up yander," and beam Of placid
faith Illuminated the old black face.
It certainly was strange sight. Here were
numberless graves, all bearing the same pict-
uresque decorations Children's graves were
covered with broken toys, tin horns, gaudily
oolored clay cats, dogs, and owls. One mound
was almost beat to the ground with age, and
on it rested in dilapidation an old hat and the
remnants Of a banjo, also a clay pipe, and q
coon skin. Near by them was the grave Of q
blacksmith, with the implements Of his craft
wedged in the ground, and rusty horse shoes
formed circle around the mound.-Atlanta
Constitution,